IZN Festival: SDG Congress Ends on a High Note
IZN Festival: SDG Congress Ends on a High Note
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Ideas took center stage as six student groups from the different college departments showcased their innovative solutions during the third and final day of the IZN Festival: SDG Congress, culminating a three-day celebration centered on sustainability, collaboration, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The final day featured the much-anticipated SDG Solution Pitching Presentation, where student-presenters stepped forward to transform SDG concepts into concrete and practical solutions. Each of the six groups presented their proposed projects before an esteemed panel of judges, demonstrating their creativity, critical thinking, and commitment to addressing real-world challenges.
The presentations were followed by an engaging and thorough Question and Answer session with the panel of judges: Janreve M. Odango, Project Technical Staff III; Danstone Guy P. Dayaday, Education Supervisor II; and Pablo L. Eulatic, Jr., EdD, PhD, RN, LPT, LAGR.
The judges challenged the student-presenters to explain their proposals in greater depth, defend their ideas, and demonstrate the feasibility and potential impact of their solutions. The exchange provided a valuable learning experience, allowing the students to engage with professionals and receive meaningful insights on their projects.
Behind the successful conduct of the event was Atty. Adelin G. Mendoza, LPT, Internationalization Focal Person, who led the organization of the SDG Congress. As the institution conducted the event for the first time, Mendoza expressed her appreciation to the entire IZN technical team and staff for their dedication and hard work in making the event possible.
Mendoza also extended her gratitude to the student-presenters and their coaches, particularly the Deans who supervised their respective teams and made their participation possible.
She likewise recognized the three judges for taking the time to evaluate the student projects, even amid the challenging conditions during the event.
“We are ending our IZN Festival: SDG Congress with a blast. Thank you to all our brilliant student-presenters and coaches, specially to our Deans who supervised and made their teams’ participation possible,” Mendoza said.
She added her appreciation to the judges for “enduring the heat of both the event and sun, just to evaluate the projects,” highlighting their commitment to supporting the students and the SDG initiative.
The celebration proceeded with the Closing Ceremony and Closing Remarks delivered by Dr. Marilou E. Albano, Vice-President for Academic Affairs and IZN Chairperson. Her message marked the culmination of the three-day gathering and emphasized the importance of empowering students to become active contributors to sustainable development.
The event concluded with the Awarding of Winners and Certificates, recognizing the achievements of the participating student groups and the contributions of the individuals who helped make the inaugural SDG Congress a success.
More than a culminating activity, the final day of the IZN Festival demonstrated how students can move beyond learning about the Sustainable Development Goals and begin turning sustainability into action—one idea, one solution, and one collaborative effort at a time.
